Massage machines of the chair type or bed type are already known for massaging the shoulders, waist or other affected part of the person to be massaged. Such machines have a backrest for supporting the back of the person leading thereon, and a pair of therapeutic fingers positioned on the backrest inwardly thereof. The therapeutic fingers are moved toward and away from each other laterally by driving a motor to treat the affected part by "nipping-kneading massage", or moved up and down longitudinally of the backrest by another motor to treat the person from the scruff of the neck toward the waist by "rolling massage".
To give an enhanced massage effect, Japanese pre-examination publication SHO 62-253060 discloses a similar device wherein a motor for reciprocatingly moving the therapeutic fingers is so controlled by a timer that the direction and speed of rotation of the motor are changed every time the timer produces a time-up output to alter the operating speed of the fingers. With this device, the therapeutic fingers move inwardly and outwardly of the backrest in a circular motion to apply a finger pressure, and a unit carrying the fingers and the motor is movable upward and downward along the backrest of the chair by a lift motor.
With the massage machine described, the speed of rotation of the motor for driving the therapeutic fingers is determined by the timer regardless of the direction of movement of the fingers, with the result that the kneading direction of the fingers is not always in conformity with the speed of movement of the fingers to entail variations in the intensity of therapy given by the fingers. Thus, it is difficult to perform effective massage with distinct movements.
An object of the present invention is to provide a massage machine comprising therapeutic fingers which are initiated into movement toward and away from each other approximately simultaneously with the start of up-and-down movement of the fingers so as to perform effective massage with distinct movements.